We earn a living making functional pots. We do not teach, beyond an occasional workshop. Our parents do not support us, and while we support each other, we have no additional spousal support. We survive by the skin of our teeth and by the depth of our commitment. Yes, we are surviving as functional potters. By surviving we mean we pay the bills on time, feed ourselves, the two kids, the chickens, the dog and cat, and generally get along in this economic world. Even though our lives are rich, we don"t own a lot of the kind of accessories the world thinks one has to have to be successful. We don"t have brand new cars and we don't own property.

At this point, our studio demands far more than a forty-hour workweek from both of us. Most of the functional craftspeople we know spend long studio hours; the reward of those hours is the privilege to continue. Continuance is what we are striving for. Our functional work demands that. The conceptual heart of our work runs deeper than one pot or one form. We strive to impart a feeling, an ambience, a lifestyle compressed into many good pots and a few brilliant ones.

We have always made pieces for people to use in their homes. We have always created pieces that satisfied our own demands for creative growth. Through the A.C.E. shows, we found many of the galleries and shops that sell our work, and it is important to us to have a studio outlet in our hometown where we can sell to friends.

"... our studio demands far more than a forty-hour workweek from both of us."

You do not learn all about clay in the classroom. We found that functional work is the learning school for us. We use its parameters to set the stage for creative problem solving, using it to hone in on that elusive form in our mind's eye. Exploring functional work develops the broad base of experience needed to express ourselves in clay. We are committed to production work, but take time to work on larger projects such as tile murals and monumental jugs and vessels. These new works take a tremendous amount of time and energy away from the work flow of the studio, and require discipline and teamwork. It is a constant balancing act. We are pledged to working with our employees and sharing the task and excitement of keeping alive the traditional context of handwork in this country.

Too often the art world is hell on the ego of the functional potter. But some of us are "bit," we have to do what we do. There is a great difference between making something to sell and making something you love and selling it to survive. It is the difference between looking for a void in the marketplace and scrambling to fill it, and working to fulfill the basic needs in yourself and sharing your fulfillment with your public.